Return to Shadows of the Past Chapter Seven



Shadows of the Past
CHAPTER EIGHT

Author: Justin
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Willow & Tara and a lot of other characters from this story belong to Joss Whedon/Mutant Enemy. Babylon 5 was created by J. Michael Straczynski.


Tara was woken up by her link beeping. With a groan she reached over to pick it up. Sticking it to her hand she hit the button saying, "Maclay here."

"Ms Maclay, It's captain Lochley. We need to see you in C-and-C."

Suppressing a groan, Tara said, "I'll be there right away."

"Also, do you know where Ms Rosenberg is?"

Tara glanced over at the woman sleeping next to her and smiling answered, "She's with me."

"Good, we need to see her as well."

Tara woke up Willow, who asked in a sleepy voice, "What's wrong?"

"Sweety, they want to see in the control room."

Willow groaned before muttering, "Well whatever it is it'd better be something important, like the universe is about to end."

Tara gave Willow a crooked smile, "You never know, it might be."


When they got to the control room Captain Lochley and Zack were waiting there for them.

"Thank you both for coming. This is a transmission we received from a distant mining colony." She hit a button and a image of a space station appeared on the screen. For a while nothing happened, then a the spidery form of a Shadow Vessel rippled into view, then another, then a third. After a few seconds there were five Shadow Vessels on the screen. A squadron of fighters approached them but they were soon destroyed. The Shadow Vessels then turned towards the station.

"This isn't right," Willow muttered.

"Yeah, there are ten thousand people in that colony," Zack said.

"No, I didn't mean... Really, ten thousand? That's terrible." Willow took a moment to collect her thoughts, "I mean the Shadows don't fight like this. Usually they use other races. When they do attack they destroy the target quickly then leave, they don't let themselves get filmed like this."

"Maybe since the Vorlon aren't around they think they can attack more openly," Tara suggested.

Willow shrugged, "You may be right." But she still looked troubled.

"Well anyway, this is now more than just one ship," Captain Lochley said, "At the moment Tessa is talking to the president."

"Actually I just finished talking to him," Tessa said as she approached them, "He's going to send a White Star to investigate the matter."

"What can we do?" Tara asked, wondering why they had been asked to come.

"I'm going to be overseeing the investigation. I'd like the two of you to accompany me." When Willow and Tara both agreed she said, "Excellent, well the ship will be here to pick us up early tomorrow."

Willow was starting to leave when Zack called her over, "Ms Rosenberg, I wanted to let you know that we got in touch which the colonies that had warrants out for your arrest and found that they have no record of those warrants. We're still looking for an explanation as to what happened."

Willow nodded, "So I'm not under arrest any more?"

"I think that goes without saying. I'd like to apologise for the inconvenience it caused."

Willow just shrugged, "I better go get ready for the trip."


While Willow was talking to Zack, Tara approached Tessa saying, "There was something I wanted to talk to you about before we go."

"Go on."

"Have you heard of a telepath called Lyta Alexander?" She was surprised to see Tessa smile at this, "What?"

"I met her a couple of times. When she first escaped from the Psicorps she took refuge with the Mars resistance, then during the civil war she was with the group that Sheridan sent to Mars to coordinate our efforts against President Clarke. We didn't always get on but I was sorry to hear of her death. Why do you ask?"

"I'm not sure that she's dead. I'm sure I saw her on the station."

"No, that's not possible. She died during the telepath war. There's no way it could have been..."

"But..." Tara started to interrupt.

"Unless, it could have been someone who looked like her," Tessa went on, "maybe as a result of surgery or a clone, or it might even have been someone in a changeling net."

"But why?"

"There are elements within the Earthgov who are trying to disrupt the alliance."

"I've seen the reports in the news, they say the plague isn't real."

"That's the least of it. I've been keeping an eye on them, and I suspect that they're being supported by high ranking members of the Psicorps."

"But why Lyta?"

"That I don't know... yet."

Tara nodded. Seeing that Willow had finished with Zack she moved to catch up with her.


After leaving C&C Willow and Tara split up to go their quarters. Tara quickly put some clothes in a bag and then set off for Willow's quarters. In her hurry she almost bumped into a young man who was coming the other way.

"Excuse me," Tara said, as she started to move around him.

The young man smiled in a pleasant fashion then asked, "Ms Maclay? I was just coming to see you."

"You were? What do you want?"

For some reason the young man seemed to find that comment amusing. "That's what I was going to ask you."


Two rangers, Lenny and Karl, were hurrying to the docking bay when Lenny stopped saying, "I think I just need to visit the little rangers room."

"Well hurry up, they won't wait for us."

Lenny quickly entered the cubicles. He had just entered one of the cubicles and lowered his trousers when he heard a PPG being charged.


Karl looked up as Lenny came out of the toilets, "Everything okay?"

"Sure, now come on, we don't want them to leave without us."


Continue to Shadows of the Past Chapter Nine


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